Category Archives: The Everly Brothers

Two Yanks in England is an album by The Everly Brothers, released in 1966.

The backing band on most of the recordings is actually The Hollies and eight of the twelve songs featured are credited to L. Ransford, The Hollies’ Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks, and Graham Nash songwriting pseudonym. Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones are also purported to play on the record as session musicians. Also, in a recent interview with Nash on David Dye’s World Cafe, it is claimed Reggie Dwight (aka Elton John) played on the album.

Two singles were released from the album in the U.S.; “Somebody Help Me” b/w “Hard Hard Year” in late 1966 and “Fifi the Flea” b/w “Like Every Time Before” in early 1967. Both singles failed to chart. In the U.K., where “Somebody Help Me” had already been a No.1 hit for The Spencer Davis Group shortly before The Everly Brothers recorded it, just one single was released from the album: “I’ve Been Wrong Before” b/w “Hard Hard Year” (August 1966). This also failed to chart. “I’ve Been Wrong Before” should not be confused with the Randy Newman song of the same title recorded by both Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black the previous year, which Black had a modest hit with in the U.K. (No.17, May 1965). The last track on Side One of Two Yanks in England, “Pretty Flamingo”, was a U.K. No.1 hit single for Manfred Mann at the time the recording of the album began (May 1966). (by wikipedia)

At first glance, this seems like a cash-in on the British Invasion. Recorded in London in 1966, no less than eight of the 12 songs were written by the Hollies (who released their own versions of many of the tunes). There are also covers of hits by the Spencer Davis Group and Manfred Mann. With a harder rock guitar sound (though not overdone or inappropriate) than previous Everlys discs, the duo’s interpretations are actually worth hearing in their own right. The harmonies are fabulous, and indeed, the Everlys improve a few of the Hollies’ songs substantially. “So Lonely” and “Hard Hard Year,” in particular, have a lot more force, transforming the tunes from decent Hollies album tracks to excellence. Because so much of the material is non-original, this couldn’t be placed in the top rank of Everly Brothers recordings. But it is a good effort that shows them, almost ten years after “Bye Bye Love,” still at the top of their game and still heavily committed to a rock & roll sound. This was a bold contrast to other ’50s white rock & rollers with roots in country, most of who had retreated to tamer country-oriented sounds by the mid-’60s. (by Richie Unterberger)

“So Lonely” (1965, was B-side to “Look Through Any Window”)
“Signs That Will Never Change” (1967, would become B-side to “Carrie Anne.”)
“Like Everytime Before” (1968 European single b-side, 1988 Rarities album)
“I’ve Been Wrong Before” (1965, Hollies album track, as “I’ve Been Wrong”)
“Have You Ever Loved Somebody?” (1967, Evolution album track, also released by The Searchers and Paul and Barry Ryan in 1966)
“Don’t Run and Hide” (1966, B-side to “Bus Stop”)
“Fifi the Flea” and “Hard Hard Year” (1966, Would You Believe? album tracks)